Saturday, February 09, 2008

But I did just get back from someplace almost as far away and just as exotic.

Kansas City, KS.

I ventured into The Dotte to help Logtar celebrate his 30th birthday. I received a Google Calendar invitation to the event on Friday. I'd met Logar and his lovely wife Bea at a blogger meet at the 75th St. Brewery. I knew I was going to like Logtar as soon as I noticed his Green Lantern shirt.

I recognized some of the other folks on the list and was honored to be invited. It sounded like a fun time.

You can read what Logtar has to say about the place and why it is so dear to his heart here. Charles Ferruzza reviewed it for The Pitch Restaurant Guide here.

I had no exposure to Columbian cuisine, so I solicited Logtar's assistance. He recommended the Bandeja Paisa. Or, as I like to call it, the #1. Here is how it looks on the website.

What we have here is some delicious charbroiled beef, some decadantly scrumptious fried pork rinds (basically "pork cracklin's on the cob"), a fried egg, a Colombian sausage that got better and better with every bite, some fried plantain, a bunch of rice and a mess of beans.

As Bea explained it to me, this is what the coffee bean harvesters would eat before going out to work their asses off all day. I was also told that any true Colombian restaurant will offer this dish. It's a basic. If it's not on the menu, it's not a Colombian restaurant. Turn around and walk away.

In North American terms, this would be the Big Assed Farmers Platter. Think steak and eggs, biscuits and gravy, bacon, pancakes, hashbrowns and a cinammon roll the size of your head.

Before I even touched the food I took a picture of it so as to assist the doctors and nurses in the Cardiac Ward when I had a heart attack half way through the meal. They would need to know what they were up against. You can tell how scared I was by the blurry pick. My hands were shaking that bad.

My dish included a quartered avacado. I didn't get around to trying that. "Avocado" is an ancient Mayan word for testicle. You don't even want to know what guacamole means. But I digress.

Everything was fabulous! This is like the Colombian version of Strouds. This is Colombian comfort food. It was awesome! And the company was great. Fellow bloggers Eric and Michelle were there, lots of Logtar's friends and co-workers. I especially liked Tom. He's an athiest and RenFest enthusiast like me. One of Logtar's co-workers had his infant son with him and he totally stole the show as the center of attention. He was dancing to the music and posing for the camera.

The staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming. It was a great evening.

If you are ever looking for an out of the way, unique dining experience, I can highly recommend the Rincon Colombiano. Good eats!

But I'd probably stay away from the Tongue Stew cooked in "Colombian Sauce".

"... It dates from a time when people would proudly proclaim "We are so tough, we eat THIS! So don't fuck with us!"

Actually, it (haggis) comes from a time and place where we proud kilted few wasted nothing - if it came from the carcass of a dead sheep, we stuffed it into the offal, cooked it up, and chowed down. Haggis and eggs for breakfast will make you swoon. I'll bring you some back from the Scottish Highlands this summer.

XO said:I also have no BBQ skills so I would be in the "bring a side dish" camp.

Too bad you don't live in the Salt Lake area. Every summer my husband and I host the annual "Meat Feast". It is exactly like it sounds. We cook up teriyaki (home made) steak, pork and chicken. We have some salads, but really, why bother with those when there is so much meat!

logtar and bea - thank you for inviting me! I enjoyed getting to know you better, meeting your friends and taking a dip into Colombian culture.

I appreciated the insight that in Colombia, you have to spcifically ask for ice with your Coke because pouring your Coke into an ice filled cup without your permission is percieved as ripping you off! The ice displaces the liquid so you don't get the full value.

I KNOW!

My gf likes her QT Fountain Pepsi's filled with ice.

I prefer my bottled Diet Cokes.

Why would I want a bunch of ice displacing my soft drink and diluting it as it melts?

My bottled Diet Coke may get warm, but it is always pure, undiluted Diet Coke! Not a bunch of vaguely coke tasting mostly water.

poodles - I have a buch of macho, hunting-fishing friends who have a similar festival. It's the "Fin, Foul, Fur" cookout where they all empty out their freezers, all of the non-hunting friends brings side dishes and everyone brings booze. We have elk, quail, trout, moose, all sorts of exotic dead animals. It's good stuff!